Battle of Tulgas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Tulgas
Part of the Allied North Russia Intervention during the Russian Civil War
Date November 11–14, 1918 Location Tulgas, by the Northern Dvina River, Russian SFSR Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom  United States  Canada White Russia	Soviet Russia
Commanders and leaders
Robert Boyd	Melochofski  †
Strength
One US Rifle Company (300 men) One British Rifle Company Canadian Artillery Battery (57 men) Around 600 men total	Ma~2500 infantry Several river gunboats
Casualties and losses
30 killed 100 wounded	Unknown; Estimated at 500 killed ~30 captured
At least three civilians killed

The Battle of Tulgas was a fight during the North Russia Intervention, which was part of the larger Russian Civil War. It happened between soldiers from the Allied countries and Bolshevik troops. The battle took place on the Northern Dvina River, about 200 miles south of Arkhangelsk.

This battle happened on November 11, 1918, the very day the armistice was signed, officially ending World War I. Because of this, it is sometimes called "The Battle of Armistice Day." Before the battle, the river froze, cutting off the Tulgas base from help. The frozen ground also allowed the Bolsheviks to move troops around Tulgas. The Bolsheviks used their larger numbers to attack the isolated base. However, they were pushed back and suffered many losses.

Allied Forces: Where They Stood

The Allied soldiers were set up in the village of Tulgas. This village was on the west bank of the Dvina River. The southernmost Allied spot was called Upper Tulgas. It had a small group of soldiers led by Lieutenant Harry M. Dennis.

North of Upper Tulgas was a small, deep stream. There was only one wooden bridge to cross it. On the north side of the stream was an American log blockhouse. This was a strong building used for defense. The village church and the priest's house were also nearby.

A few hundred yards north of Upper Tulgas was the main village of Tulgas. Most of the Allied troops were here, led by Captain Robert Boyd. Further north was the Canadian field artillery. They had two three-inch guns. An American team with a Lewis machine gun was also there.

The farthest north spot was another small village, Lower Tulgas. The Allied field hospital was in a log hut here. It was almost unprotected.

The Battle Begins: November 11

On the morning of November 11, Bolshevik soldiers attacked the American position in Upper Tulgas. Lieutenant Dennis quickly saw that there were too many attackers. He decided to pull his men back across the stream to the main village of Tulgas.

At the same time, another Bolshevik force attacked Lower Tulgas from the north. There were about 600 men. The Allies were surprised because they thought the swampy forest to the west was too frozen to cross. This Bolshevik group quickly captured the Allied field hospital. They then threatened the Canadian artillery, which had little protection.

The Bolsheviks were led by a very large man named Melochofski. He was known as a skilled ice fisher. His men spent some time searching through Lower Tulgas, including the hospital. Melochofski ordered his soldiers to harm the wounded British and American soldiers in the hospital.

However, two things stopped him. A British medical officer offered the tired Bolsheviks food and drinks. Also, a woman who was with Melochofski entered and said she would shoot the first soldier who tried to carry out the order. Melochofski then changed his order. He would be badly wounded hours later and died.

Allied soldiers during the North Russia Intervention.

Melochofski's men left Lower Tulgas a few minutes later. They charged south towards the Canadian artillery. But while the Bolsheviks were in Lower Tulgas, the Canadian gunners had turned their guns around. They fired two shots at very close range. This killed many Bolsheviks and forced the rest to retreat.

A company of Royal Scots soldiers came from Tulgas to help the artillery. They exchanged rifle fire with the Bolsheviks and suffered many losses. Meanwhile, Captain Boyd's troops in Tulgas easily held off the Bolsheviks attacking from the south. The bridge was the only way across the stream. It was defended by machine gun fire from the strong log blockhouse.

Just before nightfall on November 11, Lieutenant Dennis led a group of men. They pushed Bolshevik snipers away from the edge of the forest. Around the same time, the Canadian gunners fired at buildings in Lower Tulgas where Bolsheviks were hiding. They did not fire at the hospital. Then, they turned their guns to fire into the woods to the south. As night fell, the Allied forces were surrounded. The telegraph line to Archangel was cut by the Bolsheviks. It seemed unlikely that more soldiers would arrive to help.

Continued Fighting: November 12-14

On the morning of November 12, Bolshevik gunboats appeared on the Dvina River. They began firing large shells at the Allied positions. A group of howitzers also joined them. These had been brought into the woods near Upper Tulgas.

The heavy firing targeted the American blockhouse by the bridge. At noon, a shell hit the blockhouse, destroying it and killing two men. Bolshevik soldiers charged the bridge. But they were pushed back by two Lewis machine guns. One of these guns was set up in the village church. The Bolsheviks attacked the bridge many times. Each time, they were driven back by machine gun fire. Meanwhile, in the north, the Royal Scots took back Lower Tulgas. They found their wounded soldiers from the hospital still alive, being cared for by the woman who had been with Melochofski.

November 13 saw more Bolshevik attacks on the bridge. All of them failed. The Bolshevik forces kept up their heavy shelling. They fired about one shell every 15 seconds. This was a very intense bombardment, even compared to the western front of World War I.

The Allied commanders decided their only chance was to attack back. In the early morning of November 14, American forces moved quietly. They were led by Lieutenant John Cudahy. They went to the woods near Upper Tulgas, where the Bolshevik troops were camped. The Americans attacked, making as much noise as possible. They wanted to make it seem like they had many more soldiers.

They pushed the Bolsheviks back and captured a building full of small arms ammunition. When they set this on fire, the sound of exploding rifle bullets seemed to convince the Bolsheviks that they were outnumbered. When Cudahy's troops reached Upper Tulgas, the few remaining Bolshevik snipers gave up.

That same day, temperatures dropped. The Dvina River began to freeze over. This forced the Bolshevik gunboats to leave. The Bolshevik foot soldiers also began to retreat. The troops in the north, near Lower Tulgas, had trouble finding their way back. Many were later captured or found dead.

Aftermath of the Battle

The Allies successfully fought off the Bolshevik attack. They caused many losses for the Bolsheviks. At least three civilians were killed. During the battle, the house of the village priest was hit. The priest and his two children died.

The Allied officers decided that Upper Tulgas was a danger. It had been used by Bolshevik snipers. There was also a rumor that the villagers of Upper Tulgas had been too friendly to the Bolshevik troops. The Allies gave the villagers three hours to leave. Then, they burned Upper Tulgas to the ground.

See also

• North Russia Campaign
• Australian contribution to the Allied Intervention in Russia 1918–1919